Dumbo NYC

 Old and New; Dumbo, Brooklyn 2/2007

Manhattan Bridge:

• Type of bridge: Suspension
• Construction started: October 1, 1901
• Opened to traffic: December 31, 1909
• Length of main span: 1,470 feet
• Length of side spans: 725 feet
• Length, anchorage to anchorage: 2,920 feet
• Total length of bridge and approaches: 6,855 feet
• Number of decks: 2 decks
• Number of traffic lanes: 7 lanes (4 upper, 3 lower)
• Number of subway tracks: 4 tracks
• Height of towers above mean high water: 322 feet
• Clearance at center above mean high water: 135 feet
• Number of cables: 4 cables
• Diameter of each of four cables: 21¼ inches
• Length of each of four cables: 3,224 feet
• Structural material: Nickel steel
• Tower material: Nickel steel
• Deck material: Nickel steel
• Cost of original structure: $31,000,000

(Info courtesy of nycroads.com. Photos by DumboNYC)

DumboNYC.com is on vacation for the President’s Day weekend. In the meantime, take a look at some photos of Dumbo or check out the other great Brooklyn websites in the ‘blogroll’ section on the right side. We’ll be back on 2/21. Have a great weekend!

 Main Street, Dumbo, with view of Manhattan Bridge. The Walentas Building, 1 Main Street to the right. 2/14/07 (Photo by DumboNYC)

Remember the Beacon Tower garden post on here 5 months ago? Well, the construction crew have poured the foundation and is busy finishing up the lobby and entrance to the garden area. It’s still a noisy area, but the noise could be calming for New Yorkers who are used to car and subway noise around them. Your own little urban oasis. Just bring your noise cancelling headphones.

{Beacon Tower Garden Update I, DumboNYC}
{Get Your Feng Shui On in the Beacon Tower Garden, Curbed}

What: SCODOWN!, the first-ever presentation of Scopitones in a contemporary art venue.
When: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007, 8pm until late.
Exhibition: Through March 4, 2007, 10am=6pm, Thurs – Mon
Where: d.u.m.b.o. arts center (dac), 30 Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Why You Should Go: (dac) will be transforming its gallery space into a barn and all proceeds will benefit (dac)’s year-round programs.

For details, www.dumboartscenter.org

Featuring v-jay Emilie and surprise guests

FUNd-raising party to benefit (dac)’s year-round programs
Suggested admission $10 or $7 for students
Dress as you like or swingin’ synthetic 60s, white go-go boots or hillbilly hot!

Directions to (dac): A or C train to High Street, cross the park, left on Washington Street or F train to York Street, left at York toward Bridges, right on Washington Street

d.u.m.b.o. arts center (dac) is proud to announce SCODOWN!, the first-ever presentation of Scopitones in a contemporary art venue. Originally conceived as a one-night benefit party on Saturday, February 17, the “Hoedown meets Scopitones” genre-bender appears to have touched a nerve among a generation of cell phone-wielding, iPod clad, wired and connected aesthetes, so much so that (dac) is compelled to extend its SCODOWN! installation through March 4, 2007.

Scopitone films are 1960s music shorts, which were distributed on color 16mm film with a magnetic soundtrack. An extinct technology, the Scopitone film jukebox, was the medium for public presentation. The first Scopitones were produced in France in 1960, triggering a Scopitone craze throughout Europe – particularly in West Germany and England – before crossing the Atlantic to the United States in mid-1964. By the end of the 1960s, they were gone.

(dac) will be transforming its gallery space into a barn in homage to the backdrops used in many Scopitones. Complementing the three-week run of SCODOWN!, David Serlin, an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of California at San Diego and Editor-at-Large for Cabinet magazine, will present a public talk, “Reel Music for Real People: Unwinding the History of the Scopitone,” on Wednesday, February 28, 2007,
at 7 pm in the (dac) gallery.

 Photo courtesy of New York Daily Photo

New York Daily Photo has some amazing photos and often takes shots in and around Dumbo. Today, in honor of Valentine’s Day, Brian posted a photo at Jacques Torres (their Manhattan location). I stopped by Jacques Torres in Dumbo today, where there were many last minute Valentine’s Day gift shoppers (all guys) standing in line to buy some chocolates for their sweethearts. The store looked very festive (i.e. red). Hope you have a great Valentine’s tonight!

 Jacque Torres 2/14/2007, Dumbo Brooklyn, (Photo by DumboNYC)

 Jacque Torres 2/14/2007, Dumbo Brooklyn, (Photo by DumboNYC)

After we posted the story about the demolition of 205 Water Street, David Yassky received overwhelming response to stop the demolition of the building. (Thanks to all who called or wrote in!) According to the NYC Department of Buildings, they have issued a 10 day letter of intent to revoke their application. This is a STOP work order due to the violations reported by the nearby residents and people who called into Yassky’s office. The architect has 10 days to respond before the city can revoke their permit to demolish the building.

Previous 205 Water Street posts:
{Demolition at 205 Water Street, DumboNYC}
{In the Press: Demolishing 205 Water Street, DumboNYC}

I’ve received a few emails from readers recently who have been asking for an update on The Vista on Vinegar Hill. It’s been 2 and a half months since the last update, so here’s an new update. Judging from the photos I snapped on Sunday, the building looks close to being finished. The construction fence in the front has been taken down, exposing the lobby door (what’s with the blue door?). According to Corcoran, the real estate firm selling the units, there are only 2 left (of 31 units):

• Unit 1C, 1173 sqft, 2 bedroooms, 2 baths, $756 maint/cc, $44/mo tax, $724,914
• Unit PHB, 1120 sqft, 2 bedroooms, 2 baths, $1068 maint/cc, $82/mo tax, $1,024,800

The Vista looks like a relative of 84 Front Street (aka The Nexus) with the similar tan brick color and matchinig matte steel window frames. Does anyone know if they’re designed by the same architect?

In any case, the closing date looks to be at the end of March or beginning of April. Any owners of The Vista have an update on this? Below are a couple of photos of 84 Front Street for comparison.

The Vista on Vinegar Hill, 206 Front Street, Vinegar Hill Brooklyn

 Rear view of The Nexus, 84 Front Street, Brooklyn

 Front view of The Nexus, 84 Front Street, Brooklyn

Previous Vista posts:
{Vista on Vinegar Hill Progress Report (11/13/06), DumboNYC}
{Vista on Vinegar Hill Progress Report (9/19/06), DumboNYC}

Real estate developers Joshua Guttman and David Walentas own many of the buildings in Dumbo and have converted buildings into residential condos. Mr. Walentas converted the former warehouse buildings 1 Main Street, 30 Main Street, and 70 Washington Street to luxury condos, and several others into rental buildings, commercial space and artists’ lofts. Mr. Guttman converted 50 Bridge street and 55 Bridge Street into loft condos, and 68 Jay Street to commercial space. Mr. Guttman is also known for a few lawsuits such as the suspected arson of 247 Water Street. The preservationists have been trying to work with these developers to stop demolition of the old buildings that have historic significance. However, according to a DNA email sent out to friends and neighbors of DUMBO, “Local developers have recently lobbied the Landmarks Preservation Commission to stop the historic designation process for DUMBO.”

The DUMBO Neighborhood Association (DNA) has been trying to landmark the area through the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The Brooklyn Heights Courier writes:

City Councilmember David Yassky said he has asked the Department of City Planning and the LPC to move forward as quickly as possible to create a historic district in DUMBO. “The process so far has been haphazard. My hope is that the city will give this historic area the attention it deserves,” said Yassky.

To be fair, there are developers who are sensitive to Dumbo’s history and seek to preserve and restore building facades and details. Other developers are opposed to the landmarking designation because any work they do to the exterior of their buildings would require LPC approval to ensure compliance with the design standards for historic districts. Preservationists are concerned with maintaining the integrity of the buildings and neighborhood of Dumbo.

Let’s hope both preservationists and developers can come to a reasonable compromise so residents, visitors, and business owners can all enjoy the neighborhood and the area’s charm that attracted them in the first place.

{Preservationists rush to protect DUMBO – Neighborhood deserves Historic District status, advocates say, Brooklyn Heights Courier, 2/9/07}